john paul said no, i need you here. pope john paul ii died and then he became pope. benedict is a far shyer man, he's a gentle man, he's far more than intellectual. he never sucked in the oxygen of the crowd. he at times, ren sant. since he announced his abdication, i have been struck by how much he relieved he looks. he actually ad lib when he got up there. when i looked at his prepared text. heed a lib an aline, people say that the church is declining but i see the church as alive, because that crowd was filled with enthusiasm and energy yesterday. you know, you have seen when he met with some priests here in rome about a week ago, he was supposed to deliver a speech about the second vatican -- vatican ii, he was there at the time, that happened 50 years ago. he said no, i can't do that because of my advanced age. 85 has become his excuse to be more casual if you will and he said, no, i'll sit here and chat with you. he talked with 46 minutes without a note about what went on 50 years ago. so, clearly, his mind and those who know him and those who read his writings